Headlight



April 11, 1933.

J. A. GRANT HEADLIGHT Filed May 25, 193-1 2 Sheets-Sheet l JO MAL?Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES JOHN AUDLEY GRANT, OF ATLANTA,GEORGIA;

HEADLIGHT j Application filed Ma 25,

This invention relates to non-glaring head-: lights adapted especiallyfor use on motor vehicles.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide'a headlightwhich includes a conical reflector unit of a construction which willresult in producing a series of alternately disposed light and darkrings arranged in concentric relation whereby the usual reflection andglare which is present with a continuous reflecting surface will beavoided. c

Another object of the invention lies in'the provision of a pair ofheadlights arranged in 5 side by side relation and constructed to'causethe ring-shaped light rays to overlap in a manner to produce a solidwhite spot"on the ground immediately in front of the motor Vehicle.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, thenature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following thedescription, the appended claims, and the several views illustratedin 5the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a horizontal section showing one of theheadlights constructed in accord ance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the other headligh i c,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the headlight shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a View diagrammatically illustrating the light and darkstripes produced by the headlight shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a similar view but illustrating the light and dark stripesproduced by the headlight shown in Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a similar view but illustrating the superposed light anddark stripes produced by both headlights. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my invention includestwoheadlights A and B which are arranged in side-by-Side relation on amotor vehicle C.

The headlight A includes a conical casing 5 having mounted therein acorrespondingly shaped reflector unit 6 and an electric light bulb D atthe inner end or vertex of the unit.

1931. Serial No. 539,939.

The unit 6 is provided in its inner surface wlth a series of ring-shapedsurfaces or frustums 7 to 15 inclusive which are disposed in parallelplanesperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conical unit. The'diameters of the ring-shaped surfaces or frustums increase in'successionfrom the inner end or vertex of the unit to the outerend or basethereof, and the surfaces of the rings or frustums are therefore joinedby ringshaped shoulders or surfaces 16 13023 inclusive which aredisposed in parallel planes perpendicular to the axis of the unit. Theplane of each surface is inclined towardsthe vertex of the cone, and thecircular lines of intersection between the ring-shapedltransverseshoulders or surfaces 16to 23 inclusive and the next smaller surface areindicated by the reference characters 16 to 23 inclusive. It will beunderstood that the angle of inclination of the surfaces 7 to 15inclusive,'as Well as the number thereof, may be varied in "a manner tomeet desired conditions;

, From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the light beams willintersect the circu-- lar lines 16 to 23 and strike the surfaces 8 to 15betweenthe points 8 to 15 'and the next adjacent points v1'7 -to 23inclusive,-and thenproject outwardly, as indicated in F igure 1, tothereby form a series of concentric light and dark rings, the dark ringsbeing produced as a result of the light beams not being projectedagainst the transverse ringshaped surfaces or shoulders 16 to 23inclusive, and not against the portions of the surfaces 8 to 15inclusive between the shoulders 16 to 23 inclusive and the points 8 to15. The light rings are indicated by 7 to 15 inclusive and the darkrings are indicated by 8 to 15 inclusive. Thus a series of light anddark'stripes, circular in design, will be 7 projected forwardly in alldirections, i. e.,'up and downand' right and left. A portioncof thesestripes will be projected onto a the ground in front of the headlight asillustrated diagrammatically in Figure 4, the lightstripesbeingindicated by the numerals 25 and the dark stripes by the numerals26. Although I have illustrated the stripes r in straight lines it willbe understood that in actual practice the stripes will be arcuate tosome extent.

The headlight B is identical with the headlight A, except that thefrustum surfaces 7 to 15 inclusive and the associated ring-shapedtransverse shoulders or surfaces 16 to 23 in elusive, are advancedtowards the base of the cone a distance suflicient to project thecircular light and dark stripes 27 and 28 in alternate relation withrespect to the stripes 25 and 26 projected'by the headlight A, asillustrated in Figure 5.

As a result, the projected series of circular stripes from bothheadlights will overlap and produce a white spot directly in front ofthe motor vehicle, as indicated at 30 in Figure 6. j

. It isv of course to be understood that the details of structure andarrangements of parts may be variously changed and modified withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim I 1. The combination with a pair of non glaring headlightsarranged side by side, each headlight comprising a conical reflector'unit having its inner surfaee formed with a plurality of ring-shapedfrustumsurfaces disposed to form a series of annular continuousalternately arranged reflecting and nonreflectingsurfaces, thering-shaped frustum surfaces of one unit being respectively disposed'in'advance of the corresponding surfacesand shoulders of the other unitwhereby the surfaces andshoulders of the respective reflector units willbe arranged intermediately abreast.

2. The combination with ,a pair of nonlaring headlights arranged side byside, each headlight comprising a conical reflector unit having itsinner surface formed with a plurality of annular continuous ring-shapedfrustum surfaces disposed in stepped relation to form a series ofalternately arrangedreflecting and non-reflecting surfaces, thering-shaped frustum surfaces of one unit being respectively disposed inadvance of the corresponding surfaces and shoulders of the other unitwhereby the surfaces and shoulders of the respective reflector unitswill be arranged intermediately abreast.

3. The combination with a pair of nonglaring headlights arranged side byside, each headlight comprising a conical reflector unit havingits innersurface formed with a plurality of ring-shaped frustum surfaces,disposed to form a series of annular continuous alternately arrangedreflecting and non-refleeting surfaces, the diameters ofthe ringshapedfrustum surfaces respectively increasing in succession from the vertexto the base of the reflector unit, the frustum' surfaces of adjacentrings being united by a circular shoulder disposed in a planeperpendicular to the axis of the unit, the ring-shaped frustum ders sodisposedrelatively to: the light source 7 that each shoulder is capableof casting a shadow over a portion of the adjacent reflecting surfacewhereby said shoulders cooperate with the reflecting surfaces inproviding annular continuous alternatelyanranged reflecting andnon-reflecting surfaces.

5. I11 21. non-glare headlight, a. conical rcflector, a light sourcewithin the reflector adj acent the apex of the cone, said reflectorhaving its inner surface formed with a plurality of ring-shapedfrusto-coniform reflecting surfaces stepped progressively outward withrespect one to another and so disposed relatively to the light sourcethat each reflecting surface includes an annular portion receiving raysof light directly from the source of light and an annular portion shadedby reason of its stepped relation to the reflecting surface most nearlyadjacent thereto in the direction of said light source, and saidrefleeting surfaces bearing common angular relation to the axis of thereflector whereby to cooperate with the light source in project ingforward substantially concentrically spaced tubular pencils of light.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub scribed my name.

, JOHN AUDLEY GRANT.

